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Cambridge group is awarded $4.1M grant for saliva research

CAMBRIDGE -- Speeded along by a new $4.1 million grant, the Cambridge-based Forsyth Institute will seek to uncover new terrain in the use saliva in disease diagnosis.

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announced the award of a $4.1 million capital grant for the creation of the Forsyth Center for Salivary Diagnostics.

Research undertaken at the center will "develop and commercialize" saliva-based tests as a cheaper and more convenient alternative to the current blood-testing, according to an announcement.

"In simplistic terms, saliva can be considered a dilute solution of blood. Everything found in blood can be found in saliva," Dr. Max Goodson, senior member of staff at the Forsyth Institute, said in a statement. "Salivary diagnostic tests have been a languishing vision that now can become a reality, primarily due to the availability of sensitive and specific measurement systems made available through this MLSC capital grant."

Forsyth plans to collaborate with others in its "quest to find disease biomarkers in saliva, including metabolic syndrome/ pre-diabetes syndrome, tuberculosis, stroke and more."

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